Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I am under no illusion that I can change the mind of my good friend from North Dakota, but maybe I can ease his concerns, at least in several areas, because he did raise some things that I think should be noted.

 

   Prior to 1982, Mexican trucks did operate throughout the United States without restriction. Since then, Canadian trucks have continued to operate through the United States. Surprisingly, even some of the Mexican carriers who were authorized to operate beyond the commercial zones in 1982 have continued to operate in the United States. As best we can tell, they have as good a safety record as the U.S. drivers. But, obviously, there are lots of arguments in terms of efficiency, in terms of commitments made under the North American Free Trade Agreement for carrying this out. But I want to focus just a minute on a couple of items of concern about meeting safety standards.

 

   Mexican trucking companies, drivers, and vehicles participating in the demonstration program have to abide by stricter safety standards than U.S. and Canadian trucking companies, drivers, and vehicles operating in the United States. These safety standards include they have to have a U.S.-based insurance policy, full compliance with hours of service regulations, vehicle maintenance, driver qualifications, including the ability to communicate in English, and drug and alcohol testing. Every carrier satisfactorily completing the test has to have its drivers drug tested by U.S. labs.

 

   In addition, as many of us would be concerned about the tremendous accident with hazardous materials, these carriers are prohibited from transporting hazardous materials in the United States. They cannot transport passengers, and they cannot pick up domestic freight going from point to point.

 

   Every Mexican truck participating in the program has to pass a rigorous 39-point, front-to-back inspection and is required to display a valid Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance--CVSA--inspection decal that indicates it has passed this inspection. The decals are valid only for 3 months and can be renewed only by passing another inspection.

 

   As far as who is going to verify that the trucks are following U.S. regulations, U.S. Federal inspectors perform, and Mexican trucking companies must pass, a preauthorization safety audit to get into the program, conducted in Mexico prior to granting the authority to operate beyond U.S. commercial zones.

 

   The audit includes inspections of vehicles the company intends to use in long-haul operations in the United States and a thorough inspection of the company's records to ensure compliance with Federal safety regulations. Vehicles not inspected by the U.S. Federal inspectors cannot be used for long-haul operations in the United States.

 

   Every inspector reviews Federal safety regulations with the carrier, including those concerning driver hours of service, to ensure the carrier is knowledgeable of and comprehends the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

 

   All the motor vehicles and drivers in the cross-border demonstration program will be subject to roadside inspections, just like U.S. and Canadian vehicles and drivers, and will be placed out of service, as any carrier would be, if they fail critical portions of the inspection.

 

   I thought that might be of some comfort to my colleague who raised questions about safety inspections. I suggest that be taken into consideration as we review the appropriateness of this amendment.

 

   I yield the floor.

 

Mr. BOND. Through the Chair, I would ask my colleague if he wants to apply these same standards to Canadian truckers. Because it is my information, I do not have it documented, that the standards required of Canadian truckers are less than the standards required of Mexican truckers. The Canadian truckers coming into the United States, into North Dakota and beyond, do not have to have U.S. insurance.

 

   I would ask my colleague if he is concerned about the Canadian trucks coming in as well and what he plans to do about those.

 

Mr. BOND. It relates to the fact that the U.S. Federal inspectors will be going to Mexico and making those inspections with Mexican trucks would satisfy his concern about the enforcement. Before the trucks can come in, U.S. Federal inspectors go to Mexico and make the inspections.

 

   Does he think we ought to be doing the same thing in Canada, for example? What about requiring Canadian trucking companies to have U.S. insurance as well?

 

Mr. BOND. Mr. President, may I ask another question? We are not talking about packing houses where there was obviously a failure of sanitation. We are talking about a situation where U.S. Federal inspectors go down, conduct a pretest, a preinspection of the Mexican trucking operations, the vehicles coming in have to go through a U.S. overseen or implemented safety inspection every 3 months.

 

   Now, I do not think we require Canadian trucks, and certainly we do not require U.S. trucks, to be inspected every time they travel on our roads. But we do have inspections, random inspections that will apply to United States, Canadian, and Mexican trucks.

 

   What I am asking, if U.S. Federal inspectors are doing this--nobody ever said they are going to do it every time. Nobody expects to have inspectors inspecting every truck. But what is the difference, I would ask my colleague, between having U.S. inspectors every 3 months in Mexico and having random safety inspections--in what situation do either the Canadian or the U.S. trucks get the same degree of inspection?